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Over the past few weeks, Donald Stewart has been on every Stanford fan's radar. Well the wait is finally over - and the Paramus Catholic (NJ) wide receiver chose to commit to Stanford. Stewart was only considering Stanford and Michigan in the final weeks of his recruiting process. This is the second recruiting battle Stanford has won over the Wolverines, and a win over Jim Harbaugh always feels good. Stewart took to Twitter to announce his commitment and the other Stanford commits weren't shy about welcoming him to the team. It seems like Stewart has made quite an impression on this class.
I'm excited to announce that I am committed to Stanford University ❤️ #CardClass16 #NerdNation pic.twitter.com/qwZE89g8o2
— Donald Stewart (@Donald_Stewart8) January 30, 2016
Stewart's commitment is the third on the day and should put Stanford in the top-10 team rankings of some recruiting sites. The 3-star commit is ranked as the 16th best recruit in the state of New Jersey and also the 74th best wide receiver in the class. Within the class, Stewart is the third scholarship wide receiver, joining Paxton Segina and Simi Fehoko. As far as production on the field, Stewart had a successful senior campaign. He caught 34 balls for 632 yards, for an average of 19 yards per reception, and 11 scores.
Everyone has been ogling Stewart's 6-4 frame, and they should be. He has the frame that can generate a huge mismatch against any defensive back in the country. His frame also allows him to add on more weight without hindering his other physical attributes.
As far as high school wide receivers go, they use their pure speed and a little route running to separate from the defenders. Stewart can effectively separate from the defenders using his route running skills. He is fluid in and out of his breaks and also uses his body to trick the defender on where his route is. He hasn't perfected these skills but he definitely has developed then throughout his high school career. One other aspect of Stewart is his ability to catch the ball away from his body. This is another skill kids his age don't normally have fine tuned, but Stewart does. Overall Stewart is a great prospect who comes from a great school; this is a great fit for both Stanford and Stewart.
Check out Stewart's senior year highlights courtesy of Hudl: